Former NBA star Jeremy Lin slammed President Trump for “empowering” racism by referring to the coronavirus as the “Chinese virus.”
Lin, now a guard on the Chinese Basketball Association’s Beijing Ducks, addressed the president directly in a tweet on Tuesday.
“I wish you would powerfully support the vulnerable people that will suffer due to our mismanagement of this virus, including those that will be affected by the racism you’re empowering,” Lin said.
[Read more: Trump blames China for virus: ‘Whole world is suffering because of it’]
??♂️I wish you would powerfully support the vulnerable people that will suffer due to our mismanagement of this virus, including those that will be affected by the racism you’re empowering https://t.co/QfRHiOFGEm
— Jeremy Lin (@JLin7) March 17, 2020
Trump has been accused of racism for referring to the virus as “Chinese” in tweets and during public remarks.
He addressed the criticisms head-on Wednesday during a press conference at the White House. “It’s not racist,” Trump said. “It comes from China. I want to be accurate.”
Reporters asked Trump if he fears associating the virus with Chinese people could put them in danger. “No, not at all. Not at all,” Trump said, adding that Asian Americans “probably would agree with it 100%. It comes from China. There’s nothing not to agree with.”
Lin, who was born in California but is of Taiwanese descent, became an international sensation with dominating performances during his time on the New York Knicks during the 2011-2012 season.
Fans called the media frenzy that followed “Linsanity.”
The NBA suspended its regular season this year following the outbreak of the coronavirus, which has resulted in more than 10,000 cases in the United States, including more than 150 deaths.
In a separate tweet, Lin said he was happy to be a voice for Asian Americans everywhere.
“I’m not good with the old school Asian model minority stigma where we won’t speak up or stand up for ourselves,” Lin said. “In times like now, we truly truly need to stay united.”
